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Overhead view of Rosemary Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze on a black plate with decorative slices of lemon

Rosemary Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze

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These Rosemary Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze have a buttery, flaky base with fresh, earthy rosemary topped with a sweet, zesty lemon glaze making them dangerously moreish.
Course Dessert, Snacks
Cuisine British
Diet Vegetarian
Keyword Cookies, Rosemary Shortbread, Shortbread Cookies
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 12 cookies

Equipment

Ingredients

Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

  • ½ cup unsalted butter (softened) ½ cup usually = 1 stick
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

Lemon Glaze

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon = approx. ¼ a lemon
  • ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Use a hand or stand mixer to beat softened butter and sugar together until smooth.
    ½ cup unsalted butter (softened), ½ cup powdered sugar
  • Add the flour and mix again until fully integrated. It's okay if it's no longer a smooth consistency in this step.
    1 cup all-purpose flour
  • Separate your yolk from the egg white.
    1 egg yolk
  • Add yolk, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low until just blended—don't overbeat.
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Fold in finely chopped rosemary.
    1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
  • Use clean hands to roll about a tablespoon of dough into a perfect ball—you should get about 10-12 even-sized cookies. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Bake at 325 for 15 minutes until firm. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes before adding glaze.

Lemon Glaze

  • Add your lemon juice to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Start by adding ¼ cup powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Assess the consistency and keep adding powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the glaze slowly drips off a spoon.
    ½ cup powdered sugar
  • Pour over cookies and garnish with rosemary for a beautiful and fragrant finish

Notes

  • Make sure to use softened rather than melted butter. Check out this post on how to soften butter quickly!
  • Separating the egg white from the yolk is easily achieved by cracking your eggshell in half over a bowl and transferring the egg yolk back and forth between either half of the shell, allowing the egg white to fall into the bowl.
  • Don't waste that egg white! Save it and use it in this Easy Egg White French Toast.